New Report: Methane Waste and Pollution a Growing Problem on the Navajo Nation

As the Navajo Nation works to enact new requirements to protect air quality and limit methane waste and pollution on Navajo lands, an updated analysis shows this is a growing problem with oil and gas companies wasting disproportionately more energy than in other areas, according to a report released today by the Environmental Defense Fund, Diné C.A.R.E., NAVA EP, Grand Canyon Trust and Western Leaders Network.

The report indicates companies waste roughly 1.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas a year from operations on Navajo lands, approximately $4.8 million worth of natural gas. This deprives the Navajo Nation and allottees of as much as $1.2 million in royalties every year while producing 21,700 metric tons of methane emissions that pollute the air and threaten the health of Navajo communities. This volume of wasted gas is more than enough to meet the usage needs of every home on the Navajo Nation for five months.

“Impacts such as air pollution are no longer just in one area of Navajo lands, it is everywhere,” said Samuel Sage, Vice-President Diné C.A.R.E. “The companies that come onto Navajo lands know how they can make short-cuts with very little oversight. There has to be a way for our leadership to listen and understand the impacts of allowing extractive companies to come onto Navajo lands to extract minerals. They need to be involved and look out for their relatives and people.”

The analysis shows the methane emissions rate on Navajo lands is more than double the national average. It shows that control requirements such as those the Navajo Nation Environmental Protection agency is considering can help significantly limit this waste and pollution and it suggests that with further improvements this methane venting, flaring and leaks could be limited even further in order to protect the health of local communities.

“Oil and gas has been produced on Navajo lands since the 1920s and continues to be an important source of revenue to the Navajo Nation. Unfortunately, spills, leaks and other burdens associated with this activity have created health impacts for Navajo communities and raised environmental justice concerns.

“Being good stewards of the land is central to Navajo people,” said Herman Farley, Red Mesa Chapter President. “It makes no sense to waste resources like natural gas – it’s bad for our communities because we lose revenue and suffer the effects of increasing methane and air pollution. The Navajo Nation is making important progress to apply strong rules to oil and gas operators on our lands.”